‘No electricity at the airport’: Presidency explains why Tinubu failed to travel into Jos to meet victims

After massive criticism that followed the President's decision to address the victims of the March 29, 2026, attack in Jos that left scores dead at the airport instead of traveling into the city to meet with the victim and assess the situation on the ground.

Addressing these criticisms, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has issued a statement explaining why the president was compelled to restrict his short visit to the state to the airport.

According to Onanuga, the President's itinerary for the day included receiving the President of Chad, Mahamat Idriss Déby, before travelling to Iperu, Ogun State, to commission the Gateway Airport. Onanuga said the Presidency cancelled the Iperu trip to accommodate Tinubu's visit to Jos, but the president had to restrict his visit to the airport because the lack of electricity at the airport meant that he couldn't make the 40-minute trip into the city area where the attack occurred.

"....Upon arrival in Jos, the visit encountered some logistical challenges. While the road distance from the airport to Jos township is approximately 40 minutes, the runway does not support night flights due to the absence of navigational aids. The constraints made it unfeasible to drive into town, meet victims for on-the-spot assessment and return to the airport before dusk. Consequently, state and federal officials decided to bring representatives of the affected community to a hall adjoining the airport so the President could meet with them promptly while adhering to flight restrictions. Among the people in the hall were the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Army Staff and the Inspector General of Police, who had visited Rukuba, the epicentre of the conflict. President Tinubu deployed the high-level team to Rukuba, including the Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement, to undertake critical groundwork on security and community engagement, with a view to stabilising the area before his arrival," part of the statement reads.

During President Tinubu's visit to Jos on April 2nd, 2026, he addressed some of the victims of the attack, including a woman who lost her son. The President promised that such an attack would never repeat itself and tasked the governor, Caleb Muftang, and other stakeholders in the state to find a lasting solution to the incessant attacks.

Readers will recall that Pulse Nigeria reported that Gunmen, on Sunday night, 29th March, 2026, attacked the Angwa Rukuba community in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing several residents, including students, in a violent assault that triggered outrage, protests, and a government-imposed curfew.

At least 40 people have been confirmed dead in the attack, which has generated massive reactions on social media. Tinubu's visit to the state was intended to serve as a show of leadership, but it has now become a subject of criticism after the President declared that he had to leave the state in 10 minutes because the airport had no electricity supply.

Following Tinubu's visit, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijanni, has announced plans to install 5,000 AI-enabled CCTV cameras in Jos to enhance security. The announcement has been met with a wave of criticism online, with some calling it yet another intangible solution to the problem. Dr Reuben Abati of Arise TV described it as "unintelligible" while speaking on the President's controversial visit to Jos.